Andrea Chegut Obituary, Death – It is with deep sorrow that we must inform you of the passing of Dr. Andrea Chegut, who served as Director of the Laboratory and Co-Founder. Her research, courses at MIT, and her online short course Data Science in Real Estate for @getsmarter all reflected her desire to make the world a better place by gaining a better understanding of innovation in the built environment, urban economics, and real estate. This desire led her to focus on these topics. Andrea was a thought leader who was recognized all over the world and who gave generously of her time and knowledge at a variety of international conferences, seminars, and other events.
She had faith in other people, the possibilities that existed, the creative process, and the truth. Working with students and resolving issues that arose during the course of the research discovery process were two of Andrea’s favorite aspects of her professional career. Her research, in addition to the book “What Do You Do With An Idea?” by Kobi Yamada, was a significant influence on her. In 2015, Andrea was one of the co-founders of the MIT Real Estate Innovation Lab. She took the initiative to lead a group of researchers from a variety of fields on a number of different projects. The MIT Tech Tracker, a public analytics web tool that utilizes proprietary algorithms to provide insight into the real estate industry, and The Value of Design: Design Agency in a Market Economy, a book she co-authored with @helenaarong, @tonyjuncheng_, and @mkangk are two notable outcomes of her work.
Follow @helenaarong, @tonyjuncheng_, and @mkangk on Twitter for more information. The research conducted in the Lab has been cited in a wide variety of scholarly publications, as well as in popular news outlets such as the New York Times, Forbes, Financial Times, and Politico, to name just a few. Andrea was often found listening to Beyonce, reading everything from scientific journals to astrology forecasts, and stressing the significance of personal investing to people of all ages and income brackets when she wasn’t astounding the world with her knowledge of data science, innovative technologies, and financial economics.
Andrea is survived by her devoted husband, @ danielfink, their young daughter and source of pride, Athalia Fink, their cherished cat and Lab mascot, @ gregthepersian, and an innumerable number of friends, family members, and colleagues who will miss her brilliant spirit, remarkable mind, and unwavering loyalty. Andrea passed away on April 1, 2019. Please think about honoring Andrea’s memory by making a contribution to the American Brain Tumor Association in her name.